UNIT – II

CHAPTER 5: MORPHOLOGY OF FLOWERING PLANTS

Seed – Plumule – stem

Radical – root
Types of roots  Taproot, Fibrous root, Adventitious root.
Regions of root - Region of maturation
Region of elongation
Region of meristematic tissues.
Root cap
Modification of roots:
 Storage- carrot, turnip
 Prop root- banyan tree (support)
 Stilt root – maize, sugarcane
 Pneumatophores- rhizophora (mangroves)

The stem: Plumule have nodes and internodesbears with axillary /terminal buds
Modification of stems :
1. Storage - potato, ginger, tturmeric (perennation)
2. Tendrils – axillary buds –coils - support (watermelon)
3. Thorns - axillary buds – citrus (protection)
4. Flattened stem – opuntia (do photosynthesis)
5. Vegetative propagation (grass, jasmine, banana)

The leaf:
 Short apical meristem gives rise to leaves arranged in acropetal order
 Do photosynthesis
 Three main parts are leaf base, petiole and lamina (leaf blade)
 Have stipules
 Leguminous petioles have pulvinus. (midrib)
 Venation - arrangement of veins and veinlets on a leaf.

Types of venation :
 Parallel- monocot leaves
 Reticulate – dicot leaves
Types of leaves:
1. Simple leaves
2. Compound leaves - Pinnately compound (eg. Neem) and Palmately
compound (eg. Silk cotton)
Phyllotaxy: Pattern of arrangement of leaves on the stem /branch.
1. Alternate- china rose
2 Opposite- guava
3. Whorled- alstonia

Modification of leaves:
1. Tendrils - pea (support)
2. Spines - cacti (protection, water ioss)
3. Storage - onion/ garlic
4. Petiole leaves – acacia
5. Pitcher leaves – insectivorous plant (venus fly trap)

The inflorescence: Arrangement of flowers on the floral axis

Types of inflorescence: Depending on whether the apex gets converted in to a
flower/continues to grow there are two major types;
1. Racemose. Main axis continues to grow laterally (in an acropetal
succession)
2. Cymose. Main axis terminates in a flower so limited growth (basipetal
order)

The flower:
 Four whorls. Sepal, petal, gynoecium, and androecium
 Thalamus/receptacle
 Trimerous/tetramerous/pentamerous/polymerous
 Bracteates/ebracteate/bract. (Protective sheet around the flower)
 Bisexual/unisexual
 Actinomorphic (mustard ) zygomorphic ( pea ) asymmetric ( canna )

Based on the position of ovary:

1. Hypogynous ovary ( mustard ) superior
2. Perigynous ovary ( rose ) half inferior
3. Epigynous ovary ( guava, cucumber ) inferior

Parts of flower:
1. Calyx. Made of sepals. Can be gamosepalous/polysepalous
2. Corolla. Made of oetals. Gamopetalous/ polypetalous
 Aestivation: Arrangement of sepals/ petals in floral bud
 Main types are valvate (petunia alba , calotropis)
twisted(china rose ), imbricate( gulmohur) vexillary (pea, bean )
3. Androecium.
 Staminode- sterile stamen
 Epipetalous. Attached to the petal
 Epiphyllous- attached to the perianth
  Polyadelphous- Free stamens
 Monoadelphous- united as one bunch ( china rose )
 Diadelphous – united two bundles ( pea )
 Polyadelphous – many bundles ( citrus )
4. Gynoecium- one/ more carpels
 Ovules attached on the wall of ovary called placenta.
 Apocarpous - Free carpels ( lotus, rose )
 Syncarpous - Carpels are fused (mustard, tomato )
 After fertilization ovules devopls into seed.
 Ovary develops into fruit
 Placentation: Arrangement of ovules within the ovary.
 Different types are marginal (pea), axile (china rose, lemon, tomato),
Parietal (mustard), freecentral (primrose) and basal (sunflower)
The fruit:
 Parthenocarpic fruit: Formation of fruits without fertilization of ovary.
Ex. Seedless grapes, seedless orange.
 Two parts of a fruit are pericarp and seeds.
 Pericarp has epicarp, mesocarp and endocarp
 Both mango and coconut are known as drupe fruits (fruits formed from single
ovary /carpel)
 Perianth: Fused petals and sepals.

The seed:
 Fertilized ovules.
 Made up of seed coat and an embryo
 Embryo with radical and plumule with one cotyledon or two cotyledon

Structure of a dicot seed:

 Seed coat, Testa and tegmen
 Hilum - small pore (place where it is attached to fruit)
 Micropyle. (water enters)
 Endosperm, cotyledons, embryonal axis (plumule and radicle)
 Mature seeds in dicot do not have endosperm called non-endospermic seeds.
( stored food is utilized by embryo)

Structure of monocotyledonous seed:

 Mostely endosperm except orchids
 Endosperm is bulky and store food
 Aleurone layer (produce enzymes to hydrolise proteins for embryo )
 Cotyledon is scutellum
 Protective coats- coleoptiles (piumule ), coleorhizae ( radical )
Semi – technical description of a typical flowering plant:
 Scientific language
 Floral diagram and floral formula (check text book)

Floral formula by symbols:

Br - Bracteate _
K - Calyx G - Inferior ovary
C - Corolla
P- Perianth
A - Androecium
G - Gynoecium
G Superior Ovary

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